Committing to Yourself
by hardshocker2
Summary: Ruby took a moment to pause and think for a second. "So… I guess that means you guys haven't thought about stuff like kids?"
1. Team Work

Ruby and Blake were sitting on transport ship heading back to the City of Vale from a mission investigating reports of destruction along a rail-line commonly used by the kingdom for supply transportation. Initially, it was thought to be grimm causing the disturbances. When they arrived it didn't take the trained huntresses to find out that, instead of grimm, it was a small group of criminals using makeshift dust explosives. It didn't take long for the duo to follow a few members and find out where they were hidden. After they "accidentally" set off the groups main supply of dust inside their hideout, they decided it was best to finally report it and let the authorities take care of the rest. They were hunters of grimm after all, not people.

For the two members of Team RWBY, it was job well done and now all that was left to do was kill the time it would take to get back home. Blake had the forethought to bring one of her books with her but Ruby was left to just sit there and think to herself along the way. They were in a low signal stretch of land which meant she couldn't let Weiss know that their mission went off without a hitch. Ruby knew Weiss would have been proud of her. Ruby was imagining the wonderful night with her wife, full of relaxation that was spent holding her wife in her arms. Ruby's face flushed thinking of what it could all lead if the night was right for both of them.

It got to the point where Ruby couldn't even keep to herself anymore and risked interrupting Blake's reading time.

"So Blake," Ruby started. "Are you happy to be headed home so fast?"

Blake put her book down, but not before carefully placing a bookmark between the pages. "Of course I am. I know I chose this job but I always wished the world was peaceful enough so these missions didn't have to happen."

"So you can be with Yang more, right?" Ruby asked.

"Is that what this is about?" Blake asked back. "Well, sure, it's nice to be with her, but she has a tough time.. Communicating."

Ruby looked puzzled. "She always talks to me. I felt that was what made us such great sisters."

Blake smiled at Ruby. "You two are great sisters," She said. "But I think that's what makes it easy for Yang to talk to you."

"What do you mean?" The younger girl asked.

Blake's eyes shifted. "You two are sisters. Always there for each other. Even when her mom left, when your mom… passed away, I mean, you were even there for her during our first day at Beacon. Trying to get her to be serious with me can be a trial sometimes, even after dating so long. The discussion about living together took course over a week. After days of trying to get an answer and not a joke out of her she barely admitted she was worried about us staying together."

"You two have been dating for, like, two years! It should have been a no-brainer!" Ruby exclaimed.

Blake nodded her head in agreement. "I thought so but I guess not for Yang."

Ruby took a moment to pause and think for a second. "So… I guess that means you guys haven't thought about stuff like kids?"

Blake's eyes went wide at the question. "What? No, no, no we haven't. Why? Are you and Weiss…?

Ruby's face reddened. "No. I've thought about it but I haven't said anything to Weiss. She hasn't said anything about it either. I just don't know how she'd feel about it. What we have right now has been wonderful so far but I've always like the idea of having a full family. Happy kids, both parents, aunts and uncles, plus family friends. I had Yang and my dad when I was younger and it was great but, to me, the more the merrier, you know?"

That final sentence caused the conversation to halt for a few minutes while both members let their own thoughts sink in. Ruby was up in her own thoughts about how she would even mention something like that to Weiss. Blake could see the other girl worrying to herself and decided to try and ease her mind. "It'll be okay, Ruby. If I've known Weiss long enough then I'm sure she would listen to you. You two are married, after all. She's probably thought about it herself too. You should talk to her about it.

"Maybe," Ruby said. "She'll probably be with me all night tonight since I'm coming back from a mission. I might bring it up then."

* * *

Blake took no time to sink onto the couch next to Yang after her shower. Letting herself lean against the warm body of her girlfriend. Yang took the hint and instinctively lifted her arm so she could pull Blake closer and enjoy their moment together. It was important as the next assignment could pull both of them away for multiple weeks without warning. In their line of profession, their free time was just as important as the time spent helping the people.

Blake was intensely aware of this tonight due to the conversation with Ruby back on the transport ship. She was sure the red-head was already having the conversation with her wife if not working her way up to it. It all just made Blake squeeze closer into Yang. The blond gave her a side glance at the action but accepted the circumstances without question. Blake decided that she had her girlfriend's attention that it was time to start talking.

"Ruby brought up an interesting question on the ship back from our mission." Blake said.

Yang lowered the volume on their television. "What about? Changes to her scythe again?" She asked.

Blake chuckled a bit. "Probably something just as intimate in her mind, honestly."

"What do you mean?" Yang showing actual interest after that comment.

Blake took a small second before pushing it out. "She was asking about if you and I thought about our future."

Yang threw another side glance. "Well aren't we living it? We're successful hunters who managed to graduate Beacon. This was my future plan as far as I know."

"Well, by future, she meant more family oriented stuff," Blake clarified.

"As in?" Yang asked.

"Like marriage and maybe… kids," Blake told her.

Yang finally looked at Blake. "That's pretty serious for Ruby of all people. Was she okay after the mission?" Yang asked slightly extra concern.

Blake shook her head. "Nothing really happened to us out in the field. She admitted how she liked the idea of having a big family. I guess she was trying to bounce her thoughts off of me. She's probably talking to Weiss about that kind of thing right now."

Yang looked a little stunned. "My little sister is talking about having babies. Oh wow. I never thought I would have to deal with that idea."

Blake kissed Yang's cheek to calm her down a bit. "To be fair Yang, she's married. It was probably inevitable at some point."

"I know but, it just seems like a lot. Kids are a whole new level," Yang said.

"They've already proven their commitment to each other. Compared to you and I, they're years ahead in life, I think," Blake said.

Yang sighed and pulled herself away from Blake. The comment Blake made was clearly something she didn't take kindly. Blake could tell she struck a nerve with Yang. Anytime she brought up marriage Yang would detach and try to change their focus.

Yang stared ahead. "Are you hoping I'll propose or something? Is that why you brought up all of this?"

"Of course not!" Blake defended. "I'm just worried about us sometimes. It's like you're afraid of that kind of commitment."

Yang started to look frustrated. "It's not that, Blake. I just… I just don't know what's going to happen in the future."

"Are you trying to say you won't love me eventually?" Blake accused.

"Hell no!" Yang almost shouted. "I do, Blake. I do really love you. You just never know what might go wrong. One day one of us could go out on an assignment and never come back!"

Blake's face grew frustrated. "Why do you come back then, Yang? Do you come back home to relax? So you can catch a new show? Maybe the food?"

Yang seemed confused. "What are you talking about?" She asked.

"I'm talking about your motivation for making sure you come back safely! Because, I sure as hell don't go out there hoping to come back for my bed or a shower! The whole time I'm thinking of the people I love. The people I would fucking hope would be sad if I never came back!"

"Blake.." Yang tried to interrupt.

"No, Yang! I'm telling you this now so you'll listen! I don't come home because I missed being here! I come back home for YOU! I push myself to my limits out on the field to guarantee that I don't leave you forever. That thought hurts more than anything else, but here you are making up scenarios that I work to avoid. I know I wasn't there when you lost family members and I can't say that I fully understand how that affected you. I just hoped that you didn't push those ideas to me. I already made up my mind to be here with you. I don't know how else to prove that to you."

Blake's rant finally stopped and it left Yang stunned. Blake always did her best not to let her emotions run wild like just happened. She didn't know what to say. Unfortunately for her, Blake didn't like her silence and stormed off to their room and slammed the door. Yang was left alone in the living room trying to make sense of everything. "You fucked it up again," Yang said to herself. She thought some more about to fix the problems she just caused before standing up and heading off to their room

Yang walked in and could hear quiet sobs in the room. She walked up and sat on the bed where her girlfriend was. Yang could see her face was deep into her pillow as an attempt to hide how hurt she was. The blond lightly put her hand on Blake's back to show she was there with her.

"Hey Blake," Yang began. "I know that I'm extremely bone-headed. I just have worries that are always stuck inside me. I don't know if I can change or fix that. Maybe one day they'll disappear. Right now though, I have to ignore them because I've obviously hurt you too much." Blake's crying seemed to have stopped aside from some minor trembles in her body. Yang hoped badly that she was getting somewhere. "Right now, I feel like there's only one thing for me to say now."

Blake lifted her head a bit from the pillow. "I swear, Yang. Do not propose to me right now out of guilt. It will not end well," she threatened.

"Don't worry. I'm not," Yang assured Blake. "Instead, I'm making a promise. I promise that I'll do everything in my power to come back to you. No matter what. I may get hurt or something will try its best to keep me from you, but I won't be able to be stopped in making sure I see you again. That's how I want to make things right."

Blake jumped up and quickly pulled Yang to her. "You're not alone. If something happens to you, I guarantee nothing will be able to hold me back to reach you. If something stands in my way I will knock it down. We were partners in school for a reason. We help each other when we need support. Please don't forget that again."

Yang's face crunched as the tears began to show. "And I'll come for you, Blake. No matter what tries to hold me back. Even myself…"


	2. Seeing is Believing

Ruby stood in her bathroom shirtless, trying her best to look over her shoulder into the mirror over the sink. Her back covered in red lines that could only be seen as scratches from some kind of animal.

"Jeez, Weiss! Look at what you did to my back!" Ruby called out.

Weiss poked her head into the bathroom. "Are you complaining?" She asked.

Ruby stopped analyzing her back and turned her head towards her wife. "Of course not! It's just.. wow! Where did that even come from?"

Weiss gave Ruby a sly smile. "It was always there. You just never asked."

"Oh that's not true and you know it!" Ruby fired back. "Seems like a special occasion to me."

Weiss' smile dropped into a more frustrated look. "Fine! You always have to ruin the surprise, don't you? I was waiting until right before we went to bed..."

"What's the surprise?" Ruby quickly fired off before Weiss finished.

Weiss covered Ruby's mouth with her hand. "Calm down. I was just going to say that I managed to get next week free from the company. I'm sure they'll still bug me by calling but I don't have to fly in at all!"

Ruby's muffled glee could clearly be heard behind Weiss' hand. Weiss sighed and pulled her hand away so the hyperactive girl could enjoy her excitement. When Ruby seemed to finish Weiss went to walk out of the bathroom but was blindsided and picked up by a rush of rose petals that sent her flying to the couple's bed.

"No, Ruby! We are not going at it again! I'm still tired from earlier!" Weiss shouted as Ruby threw her onto the bed.

Ruby quickly pulled Weiss into her and wrapped her arms around her partner. Weiss was surprised that nothing else happened in the seconds that passed by after Ruby's outburst. Weiss resigned herself to simply enjoy the warmth that Ruby fed into her body.

After a couple minutes Weiss finally spoke up again. "Well, what got into you?"

Ruby nuzzled herself into Weiss' neck. "I'm just so happy. A whole week without you having to rush out on dinner or something just because work called. I just can't believe it! We haven't had something like that since our honeymoon, I think."

"I feel like you're exaggerating, Ruby," Weiss said.

"Maybe, but still. It'll be like a week of family fun!" Ruby said while trying to pull her wife even closer.

Weiss turned around in Ruby's arms to face her. "Family fun? Are you already planning something with the whole team? We haven't even made it to next week yet."

Ruby nervously smiled at Weiss. "Well, actually…"

"Actually?" Weiss rebuffed.

"I was talking with Blake back on the transport about something that I've been thinking about," Ruby admitted.

Weiss knew Ruby was beating around the bush. "Well spit it out then."

"I was thinking…" Ruby started quietly. "What if we had kids someday?"

Ruby had closed her eyes halfway through her sentence to delay whatever reaction her Wife would give her. She held them closed for what seemed like forever while she listened. When they finally opened what she saw wasn't what she expected. Weiss was simply just staring at her. Apparently deep into thought about what Ruby asked.

"Um, Weiss? I didn't mean anytime soon or something. I just wanted to finally talk about it," Ruby said sadly.

Weiss seemed to have finally snapped out of it with Ruby's words. "No, no. It's fine. I was just thinking about it. You and I, having kids. I just don't know."

Ruby kissed her wife's forehead for comfort. "We don't have to figure it out right now if you're uncomfortable with it."

Weiss shook her head slightly. "I don't think it's that I'm uncomfortable with it. I just think… well how do I put it…"

"Take your time, Weiss," Ruby encouraged.

"It just makes me… anxious? Scared? I don't know how to describe it," Weiss admitted.

"What do you mean?" Ruby asked.

"I don't what I'd do, honestly. A baby, a child, our own child. I don't know anything about being a parent," Weiss said. "I would be so scared that I would mess something important up."

Ruby looked at her incredulously. "What are you talking about? If anybody should be worried, it should be me! You're the most responsible and smart person I know! You would be a great parent!"

Weiss tried to smile at the compliments. "I wish I believed that myself, Ruby. You've heard all of my stories about my parents…"

"What about them?" Ruby asked.

"I'm worried about how it would transfer to our own kids. My father treated me terribly and my mom essentially disappeared almost every day to go drink. I felt like I was trapped in a terrible curse up until I managed to escape by enrolling at Beacon."

"You're not them though," Ruby pointed out. "Look at your life now! You've got a team and lots of friends who care about you. A career that's successful. Most importantly, if I do say so myself, a wife who loves you more than anything."

Weiss tried to smile at Ruby's pep talk. "I know. Everything is going in my favor right now, but that's just it! It's all fine right now but so was my parents' lives at the beginning. My sister told me how they just seemed to change slowly, year after year," Weiss said as her memories of neglect appeared in her mind. "I don't want something like that. What if that happens to me? What if I repeat everything they did? My own child thinking that I didn't love them at all? Why risk it?"

Ruby couldn't believe the thoughts that her normally confident wife was currently throwing at her. The worry on Weiss' face was absolutely killing Ruby. As long as she had known Weiss, she never thought that this was something she was scared of. Ruby had always heard the stories of what Weiss went through as child but the white haired woman never seemed to let it hold her down. It made Ruby wonder how long Weiss had these feelings bottled up and how she never gave Ruby the chance to help her take some of the burden.

"Weiss," Ruby started. "You're not your parents. They didn't see what they had right in front of them."

Weiss shook her head. "They knew, Ruby. They just didn't care."

Ruby gave her a small smile. "Hey, lets try something. Turn back over real quick."

"Why?" Weiss asked.

"Just trust me, Weiss," Ruby said softly.

Weiss decided to listen and turned back over to face away from Ruby. She felt the bed shift as Ruby pulled herself into her back. So many times they had slept like this through the night. Ruby's warmth was like a comfort blanket to Weiss at this point. Whenever Ruby wasn't home at night it would leave her lonely and anxious inside her head. There would be mornings where she realized she barely got any good sleep because of Ruby's absence.

"Okay," Ruby said into Weiss' ear. "Close your eyes."

Weiss was tired anyway so she nodded her head. "Fine." She did as she was asked and closed her eyes. She could feel her wife's breath on her neck. That combined by the slight squeeze that Ruby provided a lot of comfort that Weiss needed at this point.

"Now," Ruby began. "Imagine this."

"Where is this going, Ruby?" Weiss tried to interrupt.

"Just listen," Ruby said. "Imagine that you just got done working almost three days straight. You put everything you had into making sure everything went smoothly. It got rough at some points but you pulled through despite the stress."

"Do you even know what I do?" Weiss asked.

"Not the point. Besides, I wouldn't understand anyway. Back to the imagining though. So shush," Ruby said. "You've managed to escape without being held up for the fifth time and get on a ship heading back home."

Weiss wiggled a bit. "Is this going somewhere?" She asked.

Ruby gave her squeeze. "Just wait. You step off the ship and get in a taxi to start heading to our house. Five minutes before you get here, you call me to say you're about to be home. I say, 'Yes! I can't wait to see you! I missed you so much.' You say, 'I can't wait either. I'll see you when I get home. I love you.' I say, 'I love you too!' You hang up and now all you can think about is getting home so you can relax with me. No more work stress. No more people calling you about something they could have figured out themselves. No more of that because you were free to enjoy your own time. Doesn't that sound nice, Weiss?"

Weiss nodded. "Of course it does. I love coming home."

"You're getting it now," Ruby encouraged. "Hold onto that feeling for a bit. Now the next part."

"Next part?"

"Concentrate, Weiss," Ruby said. "Finally you're back home and you open the front door. The smell of a cake being baked in the oven immediately hits you."

"You always make the best cakes," Weiss whispered.

Ruby smiled at that. "The first thing you do is come to the kitchen to see what kind of cake I'm baking. When you walk in I see you immediately and rush to hug you and kiss you. It's all you've ever wanted. A home and someone who loves you more than anything."

"It's definitely nice," Weiss admitted.

"Here's the part I like," Ruby said. "Keep your eyes closed."

Weiss obeyed what Ruby said and kept her vision dark. She waited for Ruby to continue with her story but felt her hand being grabbed and guided behind her to Ruby.

"What are you..?"

"Shhh, Weiss. It's okay," Ruby assured.

"Okay," Weiss relented. She could feel Ruby's hand warm her own. It was nice to have this moment after not having Ruby with her the last few nights.

"Now," Ruby started again. "After we finish with our session I go to check on the cake since I probably burned the last one due to me not paying attention to the time. While I'm at the oven you sneak up behind me and hold me from behind. You ask, 'How is everything going? Are you feeling okay?' I take in the feeling of you holding me. I say, 'I'm fine, Weiss. I would have called if something happened.' Finally, you ask, 'What about her?'

"Her?" Weiss quickly asked. Ruby didn't answer her, but instead felt Ruby move her hand to what Weiss thought could only be Ruby's stomach. Weiss felt her heart drop into her own stomach. Ruby's body radiated into her hand. Weiss started to figure out what was going on.

"See? There's no need to worry, Weiss. She's right here. Safe and sound." Weiss' body shook as she tried to avoid crying. "It's okay," Ruby told her. "You're not going to let anything happen to us, right?"

"Of course not!" Weiss said loudly through her shaking. "Never.."

"I know you won't. You've been everything I hoped for and more. I love you, Weiss."

"I love you too," Weiss said. Ruby had let go of Weiss' hand but she refused to move it from Ruby's stomach.

Ruby spoke softly and finished the thought. "She's gonna love you, too. You can feel it, right?"

"I can… I can feel it so vividly…"

Ruby pulled her tight. "That's what family feels like, Weiss. Something that can never be imitated. It's what I felt every time I imagined it myself. I know you'd be a great mom. You're your own person. Plus, I'll be there every step of the way. Do you understand, Weiss?"

Weiss took her time trying to calm down. Her hand still resting on the spot Ruby brought it to. She felt happy, scared, and anxious all at once. Never had the thought of having a kid made her feel like this. But with Ruby here to guide her in the right direction she started to feel hope that she could overcome how her own parents raised her. There was no way she could do the same to a child, let alone her own. These thoughts finally got her to calm down just enough to say something to Ruby.

"I don't know how Ruby, but the feeling you helped me imagine was something I never knew how to explain. Ever since I was a kid I knew something wasn't right. I can't believe I finally get it now. After so much…"

Ruby grabbed Weiss' hand and held it tightly in her own one last time. "That's because I want to give you what your parents couldn't, Weiss. I want to give you a family that loves you. A family you can love without them hurting you."

Weiss turned over and kissed Ruby before she could react. When she pulled back, Ruby could see tears all over Weiss' face but she had a beaming smile.

"I think.." Weiss said. "I think we could do it, Ruby. I don't know how the future will go but I think we can do it."

"Are you saying…?" Ruby began to ask.

"Yes, Ruby. I want to make family with you!"


End file.
